For the second time in less than a year, UFC welterweight Matt Riddle has tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test, spurring the UFC to release him from his contract. Riddle’s latest failed test followed his split-decision win over Che Mills at UFC on FUEL 7 in London on February 16th, which came just seven months after his 90-day marijuana suspension following his UFC 149 win over Chris Clements. That victory was later changed to a no-contest, and it’s likely that Riddle’s latest win will be overturned as well.

Riddle was already on thin ice with the UFC because of the quality of his recent fights. Here’s Dana White calling him out by name while discussing the UFC’s decision to cut Jon Fitch: “Riddle fights just like Fitch. Has been lately, anyway. He went from being super exciting to now he wants to grab your legs and hold you down.”

Riddle had long maintained that he doesn’t use marijuana to get high, but for therapeutic purposes. As Riddle explained on The MMA Hour last October:

“I do smoke but I’m not smoking to get stoned. I’m smoking so I can finally relax, sit back and just not worry about things. People, maybe they did it in college one way, but for a guy like me, for a professional athlete that goes through what we go through, it’s medicine for me. Maybe for some little stoner sitting on the couch playing XBox, for him, it’s a drug. For me, it’s medicine…

I don’t really understand the process anymore because I thought if you have a medical license and you’re prescribed by a doctor, all the guys are taking HGH and testosterone and fighting and getting the upper hand on people and I’ve already had serious injuries in my career already and I am only 26 and I am in serious pain sometimes and I use that. I use medical marijuana for my pain and I use it for everything else, too. I don’t take anything else while I see all of these other fighters popping Oxycontin and taking testosterone and just beating themselves up, so you know. They can do whatever they want to do, I am going to do what I do, and there is a reason why I am who I am. There is a reason why I don’t get hurt or don’t get tired.”

“You can do steroids in the UFC now, didn’t you hear? [TRT] is steroids and you can do steroids as long as you get a doctor’s note now. So Vitor Belfort just pops for testosterone and everybody’s like, ‘Oh, he failed.’ No he didn’t, he has a doctor’s note so it’s okay. And honestly, I think it’s ridiculous. The reason why they say I can’t use marijuana is because it’s a performance-enhancing drug. Okay, I understand that. It’s a performance-enhancing drug to you. Whatever. But testosterone isn’t? Steroids aren’t? And if you’re saying I can’t smoke because you need to keep other fighters safe or myself safe because I’m too high, don’t you think you should keep others safe by not letting people using steroids into the cage? That’s how I look at it…

“And on top of all that, it wouldn’t bother me if they tested for THC, because I would never fail for THC because I would literally have to be that high when they tested me or I’d have to be high the day before. Instead they just test you for metabolites which you just mentioned which can stay in your system for up to a month after you’re done smoking. Let’s be honest. It’s White America, it’s the big man, it’s the guy with the money, it’s the pharmaceutical companies, it’s the alcohol companies that don’t want want marijuana legalized and they’ll do anything. They’ll ridicule it, they’ve already had slanderous campaigns about it.

I’ve been smoking weed since I was 13 and look at me. I’m in the UFC and I smash people with a smile on my face. It’s not a performance enhancing drug. It makes me relax. It makes me happy. Honestly, it probably keeps me from beating my three kids because they’re always screaming and crying at me and my wife’s crazy and you know what life’s like. It’s hard sometimes and honestly, I like to go to my game room and rip a tube and just sit back and relax and enjoy a 20 minute show, go out, see my family, take care of everything I have to take care of, and that’s what I do. A lot of people think it’s okay to drink a fifth of jack and beat their wife. I don’t.”

I tend to quote Dr. Drew in situations like this: Addiction is continued use in the face of adverse consequences. I know some people will want to turn this story into a conversation about personal freedom, and how athletic commissions shouldn’t even be testing for marijuana metabolites in the first place. And I certainly don’t disagree with that. But the reality is, marijuana is currently an unapproved substance in MMA, and if Riddle continued to smoke after his first suspension, it suggests that his usage is now beyond his control. Does weed improve his mood, and help him to avoid beating his wife and kids? Sure, probably. He’ll just have to decide if it was worth screwing his career over.

Cagepotato Comments

Showing 1-25 of comments

Meh. I'd like to smoke a fat ol blunt with this guy.We could get nice and stoned then discuss our general hate for the british and child beating techniques.

KungfuJaysus- February 28, 2013 at 11:49 am

That shit was about to expire. He had to smoke as much as he could before it did.

Alan K- February 27, 2013 at 3:07 pm

At least now he has plenty of time to catch up on his child beating.

whatchawhozeit- February 27, 2013 at 2:03 pm

Last I heard no one has tried for a medical mary jane exemption. I could be on Riddles side if he would of tried for an exemption and was denied. Remember when Diaz failed the commission pointed out he did not apply. I really hope one of these guys applies for an exemption for medical marijuana just to see the commissions response.

Mr_Misanthropy- February 27, 2013 at 1:24 pm

Fuck, this is depressing. Where's my bong? I can't cope with this shit right now.

2DaDeath- February 27, 2013 at 12:20 pm

Anyone know if athletic commissions in Colorado and Washington still test for marijuana?

algiersheadkick504- February 27, 2013 at 11:43 am

Ill fight someone who smokes weed over someone on trt anyway of the week

Whoever wrote this article is a dumb shit who has no idea how addiction works. Go fuck yourself idiot

LJM- February 27, 2013 at 10:42 am

Quoting Dr. Drew as an expert on addiction is like quoting Rep. Steve Hickey as an expert on MMA. It makes your arguments on the subject irrelevant.

By Drew's childish logic, if you want to lose a few pounds, but just love cheese and bread too much, you're addicted to cheese and bread. If you're groggy in the mornings because you stay up a little too late watching classic movies, you're addicted to classic movies. And, of course, everyone who's had an affair is addicted to sex.

It's shallow nonsense dressed up as TV wisdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBYmiYnFg4M

Onan- February 27, 2013 at 10:28 am

To everyone complaining about showing his info on the pic. Look at the source, it's from his own unprotected Twitter page. Riddle himself made his information public. CP has no obligation to obscure information that the user has already made public.

Anyone comparing marijuana to any form of actual class 1 narcotic is a moron and knows it. Bad trolls are bad.

RSparrow- February 27, 2013 at 9:28 am

I DON'T LIKE COCAINE, I just like the way it smells.

kellyman- February 27, 2013 at 9:26 am

You guys sound like uber-conservative, crotchety old men for being angry at Riddle.

SquidInk- February 27, 2013 at 9:10 am

Legal advice: You may want to blur/conceal his address. It would take all of 30 seconds in Photoshop and may save you a great deal of trouble.

teep- February 27, 2013 at 9:05 am

Does Matt still live with his mother? I bet he does, in her basement and I bet she goes and buys his weed for him because life it just too hard for Matt. And on his stance that Mj is his "medicine" - that is why you have a license for it! Someone bought your story about how you need it! I don't think MJ is a PED, but if it is banned, then it is banned. End of story.

Mr Jeff 1- February 27, 2013 at 8:58 am

Im to old to get in the cage, but i would fight someone smoking weed and probably whip their ass. weed is not a performance enhancing drug. The commissions need to get their heads out of their asses. If you can be on trt with excemtion, then i think the same should apply to weed. It only makes scense. Most any fighter would tell you that they would have no prob fighting a stoner....

beef_kurtains- February 27, 2013 at 9:06 am

Nick Diaz thinks you're hilarious.

intercept440- February 27, 2013 at 8:46 am

i mean even if he posted it himself on his twitter. all he has to do is take it down and cry foul on you

Onan- February 27, 2013 at 10:35 am

Sure, because everyone knows that once you delete something off the internet it's like it never even existed.

intercept440- February 27, 2013 at 8:45 am

oh and one more thing... you fucking hacks actually think its a good idea to list the dudes drivers licence without blurring his address out??
.
how much shit do you think could possiblly go wrong there???

The Fresh One- February 27, 2013 at 9:41 am

Since the caption reads "via @riddletuf7" I'm going to assume he put it out there.

Kintamachikara- February 27, 2013 at 8:27 am

Interesting conundrum in that commission is testing for metabolites that stay in system for months, not THC. Does same standard apply for painkillers?
If a dude takes an oxycontin 3 weeks before a fight are there still detectable traces in his system day of fight?
Seems that screening and "acceptable limits" are different for each drug: weed is "any detectable is no good", TRT is within a certain limit day of the fight, painkillers below some limit day of fight. Only pot is "if it can be measured you're over". Need a consistent judgement method. But... judging has never been MMA's strong point.

Goog- February 27, 2013 at 8:22 am

What a compelling argument, Riddle... you dipshit.

Glad to see him gone. He's a wannabe controversial shit-talker and if you wanna do a press conference and flat out say you're going to sandbag it and put on shit fights, well... there's plenty of room at the table to go do that where Kevin Randelman is fighting.

I've never heard of a fighter getting fired for something another fighter was doing, so maybe you just worry about yourself and not who's got a TRT license? Think about that in the barber's chair, dumbass.

shedlikeittosnow- February 27, 2013 at 3:27 pm

You are such a fucking idiot.

ytrebil- February 27, 2013 at 8:21 am

This made me laugh: “Honestly, it probably keeps me from beating my three kids because they’re always screaming and crying at me and my wife’s crazy and you know what life’s like.”

I actually feel sorry for the guy. Not a fan of his recent fights but being cut for MJ is pretty rubbish.

intercept440- February 27, 2013 at 8:13 am

No matt you fucking dumbass... for you it's unemployment ya greasy fuck

Shifty-Eyed Dog- February 27, 2013 at 7:48 am

I think the best thing to come out of this is the revelation that Riddle lives on "Indian Princess Drive"

shatterproof- February 27, 2013 at 7:36 am

redonk

Imnotamoose- February 27, 2013 at 7:26 am

"I’ve been smoking weed since I was 13 and look at me. I’m in the UFC and I smash people with a smile on my face..."

Thank you Matt "Giggles" Riddle for the best pro weed argument I have ever heard.